‘Burkini’ day at French waterpark called off

A French waterpark’s event for Muslim women wearing “burkinis” was cancelled amid criticism from the Right and death threats sent to the organizers.

A community group in Marseille organized the event, scheduled for September, just for women wearing the all-over swimming garment. They said only women “covered from the chest to the knees” would be allowed to take part.

It attracted a great deal of criticism, with Florian Philippot, senior advisor to National Front leader Marine Le Pen, saying “this sort of event should be banned.”

“Accepting this so-called fashion means we accept communalism in our country,” said Valérie Boyer, from Nicolas Sarkozy’s Les Républicains and mayor of two Marseille districts.

Smile 13, the association which organized the event, said in a Facebook post it had received insults and death threats.

The local authority and the waterpark decided to call off the event, saying in a statement they did not “wish to be the site of public unrest,” Le Monde reported.

France was the first European country to ban the full-face Islamic veil in public places, but it is legal to wear Islamic dress.

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charles hoffman

there is nothing wrong with accommodating various societies and religious denomination needs.

Posted on 8/9/16 | 9:00 PM CET

Raphael

Your comment Charles is stupid.

Posted on 8/9/16 | 10:25 PM CET

S.Alexander

@ charles hoffman

EVERYTHING is wrong with accomodating various societies and religious denomination needs.

Migrants MUST take on local culture, habits and religious needs or BE GONE. period.

Your kind of thinking led to the dissolution of western society. Traitor!

Posted on 8/9/16 | 10:47 PM CET

Y Y

A culture where women must be hidden beneath a sheet in fear of rape, should question their behaviors and beliefs seriously. Especially when other cultures proof differently. The proof of the pudding is apparently in raping the pudding, or not, and although we understand it must be very hard for some more primitive and generated brains not to rape, it is possible!

So, instead of expanding their anti-rape methods by punishing the victims, we should expand our methods of equal rights and respect for sexes. We should not allow our society to be infected by the mental illness of rapist, but heal those who clearly are infected by violent, misogyny, Magical Thinking!

Posted on 8/9/16 | 11:30 PM CET

bbbb

No European country must allow such events. Finally somebody in France had the good sense to issue threats to the organisers. It is time that the locals turned against the migrants and forced them out of not just pools but the country itself.

Posted on 8/10/16 | 8:48 AM CET

Milo Baker

Not being French or even having ever visited France nor being Muslim nor coming from a culture or tradition that currently holds such a strong position on female modesty that I or the women and girls I associate with, I can not claim to fully understand understand the issues and laws involved with either side of this controversy. That being said, if this were to take place in the Untied States I would be on the side of the organizers of the event. Setting aside one day to shake up the rules that do not pertain to health and safety in order to accommodate a group that would, under normal circumstances, be precluded from or otherwise made to feel uncomfortable participating. Amusement parks across our nation make temporary accommodations for religious and non religious groups all the time. I do know Americans that do avoid water parks or other “bathing suit” locations and events because they do not wish to expose their children to people dressed less modestly than they feel is appropriate for public display. I personally do not agree with the taboo against public nudity but as far as I can tell from this and other reports, this water-park is not a publicly owned enterprise and should be allowed to accommodate anyone they please.

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